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Clemantine Ginger Vinaigrette This is a very simple vinaigrette that can not only be used on your favorite green salad, but makes a great marinade for seafood or chicken. 1/2 c clemantine juice (save zest) 1 T lime juice 1 T fresh basil (chiffonade) 1/2 c rice wine vinegar 2 c grapeseed oil grated zest of two clementines 1 tsp grated ginger 1 T minced shallots salt and pepper to taste Add juices, rice wine vinegar, zest, ginger and shallots to a bowl. Slowly drizzle grapeseed oil while wisking vigorously (Do this by hand so that you keep the pieces of the zest and shallots in tact, texture makes this a pretty dressing). Add salt, pepper and basil, check seasoning. Serve over a fresh avacado and heirloom tomato salad with roquefort cheese. Keywords: Salad, Easy, Dinner ( RG1951 )

Almond Rhubarb Muffins Serves 12 as Dessert. For this recipe, I started out with a base from Southern Living Annual Recipes 1986 (p. 301) for Peachy Almond Muffins. I modified it by replacing half of the flour with almond meal and substituting fresh cut rhubarb for the peaches. If you don't have rhubarb, I think that fresh raspberries would be great! . Another way I modified the recipe was to add a crunchy brown sugar, chopped nut topping. . These muffins are not overly sweet - but that's how I like them! Enjoy. TOPPING 1/4 c brown sugar 1/2 c slivered almonds, coarsely chopped 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp butter, melted MUFFIN BATTER 1-1/2 c rhubarb, fresh 3/4 c almond meal 3/4 c flour, all-purpose 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 c granulated sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 c vegetable oil 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp almond extract Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease 12 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. . TOPPING: Mix brown sugar, coarsely chopped slivered almonds, cinnamon and melted butter; set aside. . MUFFIN BATTER: Coarsely chop the rhubarb and set aside. . Combine almond meal, flour, salt, baking soda, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine. . Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla and almond extract. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Add rhubarb (or fruit), stir just until combined. . Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each cavity two-thirds full. Sprinkle each muffin with topping mixture. . Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes. Vanilla Ice Cream makes a nice addition. Keywords: Easy, Cake, Dessert, Snack, French ( RG1950 )

Kickin' Chili by Chef Bradley Serves 16 as Main Dish. This is a great chili to simmer all day or for just a few minutes. I make this at home, at work and over an open fire when camping. It's a hearty meal by itself or great for a soup or side. It's even better the next day. You can adjust the kick by adding or removing some of the chilis. FYI, This recipe is by memory and is a general guide, I dont have a written recipe per-sa, so, good luck. 1 c small diced white onions 2 serano chilis (seeds and all) minced fine 1 large aneheim chili (seeds and all) minced fine 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 2 cloves garlic (made into a paste w/ kosher salt and your knife edge) 1 large bay leaf 1/2 c red wine 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10 preferred) 1 T ground coriander 1 T smoked paprika 2 T chili powder (mexican type preferred) 1 T cumin powder 2 tsp grey salt (sub kosher if needed) 16 oz canned kidney beans (drained) 1 tsp cracked black pepper 28 oz crushed tomatoes 28 oz tomato concasse 2 oz tomato paste 2 T fresh basil chiffonade 1 T fresh cilantro chopped 1 T fresh oragano chopped Saute onions, garlic, chilis, pepper flakes and bay leaf in small amount of good olive oil until lightly caramelized. Add red wine and reduce by half, stirring up any brown bits you may have. Add ground beef, coriander, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and brown well. If you use a good lean beef, there will be no need to drain any fat. Add tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining tomato products and kidney beans, stir well. Simmer for at least 30 minutes (can go as long as 6 hours if you watch it) stirring accasionally. Add basil, oregano and cilantro about 10 minutes before serving. Check seasoning and serve. I like to serve diced avacado, sour cream or creme fraiche, shredded cheddar and something crunchy like corn tortillas and cheesy toasted baguette crisps with it. Anjoy Keywords: Beef, Dinner, Soup ( RG1949 )

Peasant Pancakes Serves 6 as Appetizeror 2 as Main Dish. This is based on an old recipe by Mai Leung from The Chinese People's Cookbook, 1979 1 c AP flour 1 c Chicken broth 2 Chinese sausages, chopped 1/2 c chopped green onions 1/2 c chopped water chestnuts 1/2 c chopped raw shrimp 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne oil for frying Whisk flour and stock to a smooth batter. Stir in all other ingredients. Lightly oil a pan and make small pancakes in the usual way. Keep warm on a rack in the oven at 200 F. til all the cakes are fried. Serve with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce, or any Oriental dipping sauce you like. Keywords: Shrimp, Chinese, Snack, Appetizer, Easy ( RG1948 )

Food Processor Method for Rendering Fat & Lard I've been using fifi's lard rendering technique for a while now, and it works like a charm. However, when I was writing up the topic on emulsions, I started thinking that the techniques of emulsions as they apply, say, to a soufflé, could be useful in rendering animal fat. (I later spied this technique in Paula Wolfert's Cooking of SW France. Doh!) Fifi points out that adding water can help nudge the rendering along. Given that, I thought, what if you create an emulsion with skin or fat and then beat in some water? By doing that, you'd create an emulsion where the fat molecules are sitting right next to a bunch of water molecules; stick that in a 220F (105C) oven, and when the water heats to boil and steams, it should render the fat very quickly. This would also enable you to keep the fat at a low temperature, which insures the highest quality fat. The method works like a charm, and it's particularly useful if you want to get the most out of duck or chicken skin and don't want cracklin's (or gribenes) to snack on at the end. When making duck confit, for example, you'll want to get every little bit of fat from that skin. The next time you are skinning chicken breasts, save the skin, and you'll have some easy, wonderful schmaltz on hand later! Method 1. Preheat the oven to 220F/105C. 2. Chop your animal fat or skin roughly. (It's a messy business, and the combination of dull knife, greasy hands, and slippery skin or fat is very dangerous.) 3. Place the fat or skin into a food processor and turn it on. Let it run for a minute or two, pulsing and scraping to make sure that you're chopping up the skin or fat as finely as possible. 4. With the motor running, pour in some cold water, about 1/2-1c (100-200ml) to form the emulsion. It should take only a few seconds for the fat to absorb the water and make a foamy fat frosting. 5. Shut off the food processor and scrape the emulsion into a thick pot that can go in the oven. (A cast iron dutch oven is perfect for this purpose.) Place the pot into the oven. 6. Every 10-15 minutes check the pot and break up the emulsion with a wooden spoon. When all of the emulsion has rendered into clear fat, there will be a tough raft on the top of the proteins that remain. 7. Gently strain the fat from the pot into a clean glass jar and store in the fridge indefinitely. Keywords: Easy, Food Processor ( RG1947 )

Chocolate Hamantashen Fill with your favorite fruit or chocolate fillings. Makes approximately 3 dozen. 3/4 c sugar 3/4 c margarine or butter 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2-1/2 c flour 1 tsp baking powder pinch salt 1/4 c cocoa powder 1. In the bowl of an stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together the sugar and margarine/butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix in. Add the baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and flour and mix until just combined and a ball of dough forms. 2. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, shape into rectangles about 1" thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. 3. Once the dough has chilled, roll out one section, about 1/8" thick on a well-floured workspace. Use a cutter to cut approximately 3" circles. 4. Place approximately 1 teaspoon of a filling of your choice in the center of each section. Bring three sides of the dough together to make a triangle. Pinch the 3 corners together and place on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). 5. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 9-12 minutes, until the bottom turns golden brown. Keywords: Dessert, Kosher, Cookie, Jewish ( RG1946 )

Eggplant Torta 3 eggplants (use Japanese eggplants) 2 T vegetable oil 3 large eggs 1/4 kg ground lean beef or pork 1 medium potato, peeled and diced 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 1 small bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced 1 small onion, minced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T oil. To prepare eggplant: To make, first prick your eggplants all over with a fork and roast them over a charcoal fire or on top of your stove. Roast them until their skin is lightly charred. Remove the eggplants from the fire and cover immediately with a clean kitchen towel or a paper bag (this will help in peeling the skin). Let rest until the eggplants are cool. Peel the charred skin, leaving the stem ends intact. Slit the eggplant lengthwise and open it up a bit and mash it slightly so the eggplant is spread like a pancake on a plate. To make filling: Heat up a pan, add the oil. Sauté the garlic until golden brown, add the onion and let it cook until transparent. Add potatoes, stirfry for one minute and then add carrots. Add the bell pepper next and then the ground meat. Sauteed for 3-4 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add half a cup of water to the pan and let it simmer until the water evaporates. Remove the mixture from the pan and let cool. When the mixture has cooled, mix in the eggs (lightly scrambled) and set aside. To assemble the torta: Take the flattened eggplant and put about 3-4 of the mixture on top and spread around evenly. Take the assembled eggplant and carefully put it in a hot non-stick pan (lightly oiled) and fry for several minutes. Flip it over and let the other side cook until it is nicely caramelized. Slide onto a plate and enjoy with steamed rice and soy sauce/vinegar dipping mixture. Keywords: Side, Easy, Vegetables, Filipino ( RG1945 )

Longganisa (Filipino breakfast sausage) 1 kg ground pork (make sure it is fatty ground pork) 1 medium onion finely chopped/minced 4 T vinegar (white vinegar or any strong vinegar) 2 T soy sauce 2 tsp salt 2 tsp pepper 4 T brown sugar 1 T paprika for coloring (most Filipinos add red food dye) 6 cloves garlic, finely minced In a large clean bowl, mix everything up really well. Stuff into casings or make patties or finger-sized rolls for skinless longganisa. Let the meat cure for 6 hours or overnight before frying (I usually don't since I am too excited to eat them). Best served with garlic fried rice on the side with sunny-side eggs. Keywords: Main Dish, Filipino, Easy, Pork, Breakfast ( RG1944 )

Garlic Fried Rice This is the usual side dish for adobo dishes. leftover oil from frying the adobo chicken 2 T minced garlic 4 c of cold cooked rice 1. In the pan where you fried the adobo chicken, add the minced garlic and cook over medium heat until golden brown. 2. Add the cold rice and stir, mash and mix in thoroughly with the garlic and oil. 3. Continue stirring and mixing until the rice becomes a uniform golden brown color and the garlic has been thoroughly mixed uniformly throughout the pan. 4. Serve hot with the adobo. Note: It would be easy to stir the rice in if the cold rice is broken up first. Wet your hands with water and crumble the cold rice in a large bowl. Keywords: Easy, Side, Filipino ( RG1943 )

Chicken Adobo 1 whole chicken, cut into serving sizes 1/3 c soy sauce 2/3 c white vinegar 1 head garlic, minced 1 beef boullion cube or chicken cube (if you don't have this, add a 1/2 tbsp salt) 6 peppercorns 2 bay leaves 2 tsp vegetable oil 1. In a large bowl or container marinate the chicken with all of the ingredients except the vegetable oil. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for over an hour. 2. In a large wok, add the chicken and marinade and turn up the heat. Let the chicken boil in the marinade for 10 minutes then add 1 cup of water. Turn the the heat and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes. 3. Thoroughly drain the chicken, leave the marinade mixture in the wok. 4. In another pan, add the oil and heat it. Add the drained chicken and fry until the pieces are golden brown. Drain the chicken and add back to the marinade in the wok. * 5. Turn the heat up again and simmer the chicken pieces until the sauce thickens up. Serve over cooked rice or fried garlic rice. *You can cut up potatoes in wedges or cubes and fry these too. Add the potatoes with the chicken in the wok to simmer it together until the sauce thickens up Keywords: Chicken, Easy, Main Dish, Filipino ( RG1942 )

Pare Tumis (Stir Fried Bitter Gourd) This recipe I’m about to share features bitter gourd (“pare” in Indonesian) and is very simple to prepare. Rumour says that bitter gourd is useful in cleansing the bowel! This is a very popular Indonesian side dish, and usually is used to accompany something like an egg main dish, where the flavours compliment each other very well. 2 cloves of garlic 2 medium bitter gourd [sliced very thinly with mandolin or sharp knife] 1 T vegetable oil 2 T shallots [sliced] 2 Large green chilies [sliced, deseeded if can’t stand the heat] salt and sugar [to taste] 2 T dried salted shrimp [fried in oil] Sautee the shallots, garlic and green chilies in oil until fragrant. Add the sliced bitter gourd, stir occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt and sugar. Turn off the heat and add the fried dried shrimp. Serve with steamed rice as a main dish or serve as a side dish Keywords: Vegetarian, Hot and Spicy, Side, Non-Alcoholic Beverage, Easy, Vegetables ( RG1941 )

Black truffle risotto Serves 2 as Appetizer. This black truffle risotto is just awsome. A lot of black truffle risotto recipies I found while searching, had garlic, mushrooms etc. in them. What I like about this recipe is that it's simple, yet rich, and that it lets the taste of the truffles dominate the dish. Please note that this is my first black truffle dish, my first encounter with the ingredient. So, I do not claim to be any kind of expert in the field. This recipe has it's roots in an Oscar dinner, orgiginally made with pan roasted organic chicken. The recipe had slightly more black truffle in it, and black truffle butter as an ingredient. To acommodate my wallet, I've reduced the truffle content some (not much). 1/2 dl Olive oil 125 g Risotto rice 1/4 Yellow onion, finely chopped 1 dl White Wine 4 dl Chicked stock dl grated parmesan cheese 14 g grated black truffle (This was half a black truffle for me) 1 T Butter Sweat the onions in the pan with the olive oil until tender. Add the white wine and reduce untill all the liquid is absorbed. Add a the chicken stock a little at a time, stiring the risotto continously. After about 20 minutes, the rice should be tender but still firm. Taste along the way! Add the butter, parmesan and truffle. Serve immediately on hot plates. Keywords: Vegetarian, Rice ( RG1940 )

Poppy Seed Lemon Bread You know the old saying, "If life gives you poppy seeds, make Poppy Seed Lemon Bread!" This is my version of a lemon quickbread recipe from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. Batter: 2 c Sugar 2/3 c Butter, Melted 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1/2 c Fresh Lemon Juice 4 Eggs 3 c AP Flour, (I do like KAF) 2 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsp Salt 1 c Milk 1/2 c Poppy Seeds Grated Rind of 1 Lemon Topping: 1 c Confectioners Sugar 1/2 c Fresh Lemon Juice Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Grease 2 4.5 x 8.5 Loaf Pans (and/or line with Parchment Paper) Combine the Sugar, Butter, Vanilla & Lemon Juice Beat in Eggs, one at a time, until smooth Mix together Flour, Baking Powder & Salt Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients alternately with Milk Add Lemon Rind & Poppy Seeds Pour Batter into Loaf Pans Bake for about 1 hr, until toothpick comes out clean Prepare Topping: Dissolve the Confectioners Sugar in Lemon Juice over low heat When bread tests done, and is still hot, pierce top with knife or skewer, and pour Topping over holes Cool loaf in pan about 1 hr, remove and wrap in waxed paper and then foil and allow flavors to mature for 24 hrs before serving ( RG1939 )

My moms meatballs Here is the meatball recipe I learned from my mom as a kid. We ate them all the time and she made them kinda huge. These are all beef, but you could easily mix other meats or substitute your favorite. 1 lb ground beef (80/20) 1 egg 1/2 c panko crumbs 1 tsp fresh basil (chopped) 1 tsp fresh oregano (chopped) 1 tsp fresh parsley (chopped) salt and pepper (to taste) worcestershire sauce (splash) Combine all ingredients well (by hand is best, but if you're a sissy, you can use the paddle attachment on your kitchen-aid ) Brown them well in a skillet and braise in your favorite marinera sauce until the meatballs reach an internal temp of at least 160F. The next day, they make great panini sandwiches when sliced. Keywords: Beef, Dinner ( RG1938 )

Easy Red Beans and Rice Red Beans and Rice, at least made in this way, is an old New Orleans tradition. They are typically served on Monday's here, as that is when women used to do the week's washing and beans were something that could be cooked, relatively unattended, while the scrubbing, the hanging, the ironing, and the folding was taking place. Here in New Orleans these are almost always made with Camellian Brand Red Kidney Beans, but any good quality dried red bean will work (you can also sub white beans in this, up the cumin, add some chile powder, and sub the sausage for an equal amount of grilled chicken, and you will have White Chile, as it is called here). 2 lb Dried Red Kidney Beans 3 T Olive oil 3 medium yellow onions 2 green bell peppers 3 stalks celery 3 jalapeno peppers (seeded) 3 T salt to taste (more than you think) 2 T Black pepper 2 tsp Cayenne pepper 1 tsp Cumin 2 tsp Rosemary 2 tsp oregano 3 Bay Leaf 2 lb smoked sausage Put first 13 ingredients into a large, heavy bottomed pot, cover with 2 times their volume in water (enough to keep them from surfacing as the beans soak up the water) and let soak overnight Bring pot with first 13 ingredients to a boil. Turn pot down to a low, low simmer, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching. Keep an eye on liquid level, as these are SUPPOSED to be a little soupy, not thick like goo. Simmer for approximately 6 hours until tender (your house will smell great) Add browned sausage about an hour before end of cooking time. Adjust seasonings to taste Serve over medium or long grain rice. Eat until sated. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, American, Pork ( RG1937 )

Excellent Chicken Noodle Soup This is my most successful chicken soup recipe ever. This was delicious – rich, tasty, chicken-y and a great mouth feel. It is another one of those recipes that is VERY inexact. Mostly a set of directions. You do it by taste, but really it’s very, very easy! The best way to make this is to begin the day before you want to serve it. Make the stock and the chicken the first day and then just put the soup together the day of the meal. Whole chicken(s), cut up Carrots Onions Celery Poultry seasoning Salt & pepper Tomato paste Olive oil Chicken broth “Better Than Bouillon” chicken flavor, optional Carrots, sliced and cooked Kluski egg noodles, cooked Parsley Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the chicken back, neck, wings and gizzards into a roasting pan with the roughly chopped vegetables. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Make a slurry of tomato paste and olive oil and drizzle over the chicken and vegetables. Toss to coat. Roast until the ingredients are browned, tossing occasionally (this took about 45 minutes). Put everything into a stock pot. Deglaze the roasting pan with broth and add the liquid to the pot. Add enough broth to cover the ingredient by at least two inches. Set on very low heat. Bring the contents of the pot to a simmer VERY, VERY slowly. Skim off the impurities as they rise to the top. Keep the stock at a VERY gentle simmer for three hours, adding broth, if necessary, to keep the liquid level above the solids. When done, cool, strain out the solids and defat (defatting is MUCH easier if you just refrigerate it after straining and use it the next day). Using this stock, simmer the rest of the chicken pieces until done. Cool the pieces, remove meat and cut into bite sized pieces. Let the stock cool enough so that you can defat again (one of those large glass fat separators is invaluable at this point!). Taste the stock at this point and adjust the seasonings. I added some of the “Better Than Bouillon” at this point – it is really good stuff and enriches the stock without adding a chemical or salty taste like bouillon does. Add the chicken pieces, cooked carrots, parsley and noodles to the stock. Heat and serve! Keywords: Soup, Chicken ( RG1936 )

Curried Potato Soup This recipe is from my cookbook, Soup, A Kosher Collection. Use chicken or vegetable stock, and throw in some canned chickpeas if you like. 1 small yellow onion 2 T olive oil 1 garlic cloves, crushed 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced 1 T curry powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp dry mustard 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes 1 lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes 7 c stock 1 c frozen green peas 1 T fresh lemon juice Over medium heat, saute the onion in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno and all of the spices. Saute another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices start to release their aromas. Add the sweet and red potatoes and saute another 1-2 minutes. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Using a potato masher, mash about half of the potatoes. This will thicken the soup. Add the peas and lemon juice and cook 2-3 minutes. Keywords: Soup, Kosher, Easy, Potatoes ( RG1935 )

Grapefruit Bitters A decent version of grapefruit bitters for use in cocktails. This recipe is about the 5th iteration of an original recipe and turned out fairly decent. More details on this recipe can be found here. 180 g grain alcohol 60 g Grapefruit zest (no pith -- in strips from vegetable peeler) 10 g Grapefruit zest with pith 10 g Lemon zest 4 g ginger (2 pieces) 5 g gentian 1 g dried spearmint 5 g dried lavender 30 g water Combine all ingredients, let sit overnight (12 hours) Strain solids and set aside. In saucepan melt 3 tablespoons sugar until very dark brown, add 1/4 cup water, stir until dissolved. Add 3 teaspoons of burnt sugar syrup to strained bitters along with 1/4 cup water. Keywords: Cocktail ( RG1933 )

Coconut Custard with Black Bean Brownie Coconut custard ½ cup Chaokah coconut cream or coconut milk 2 eggs 3 TB agave syrup, brown sugar or palm sugar 3 TB cooked forbidden rice Mix and pour into 3 oz ramekins. Makes 3 servings. Lightly oil the ramekins first if you’re going to be unmolding to place them on top of the brownie. Put in a 300 degree oven in a hot water bath for 35 min. If not pairing with the brownies, I would use only 2 TB agave syrup. Black Bean Brownies (wheat free) 8 oz unsalted butter 2 oz unsweetened chocolate 1 cup sugar 2 eggs room temp. ½ cup black bean puree 1 TB instant coffee (Nescafe Mountain Blend for mine) ¼ c chopped pecans Melt butter over low heat, at chocolate to melt. Let cool. Add eggs one at a time to sugar in mixer bowl. Slowly add butter and chocolate mixture. Add black bean puree. Add coffee.Turn off mixer and stir in pecans. Pour into greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Allow to cool completely. I think these would be great topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. These are a very fudgy and some what crumbly brownie and I found that if you use 2/3 cup black bean puree, it makes them a little more cakey and less fudgy. For the black bean puree, I used low sodium canned black bean, rinsed very thoroughly and buzzed in a food processor. Keywords: Dessert, Plated Dessert ( RG1932 )

Green Pea Shortbread 8 oz butter 1/3 c powdered sugar sifted 1 T cornstarch 1/2 c green pea flour (Bob’s Red Mill) 1/2 c AP flour Cream the butter and sugar. Sift together the cornstarch and flours six times. Mix into butter/sugar. It makes a very crumbly mixture that will eventually hold together. You may need to put down the spoon and get your hands into it. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead just until it comes together. Roll out ¼”. I put mine on a sheet pan with parchment where the original recipe said to press into pie pans. Press rubber stamped images into it if desired and bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Check frequently after 20 minutes as it browns very quickly and if it does you will lose the lovely green color you’re after. After removing from the oven, gently cut with a sharp knife while still warm then allow to cool. Keywords: Dessert, Cookie ( RG1931 )

Potato Water Challah Serves 10 as Side. 2 medium-sized loaves This potato-based bread stays has excellent flavor and a just-moist-enough, fine crumb that stays fresh for days. 1-1/2 c warm cooking water from boiling potatoes 1 pkg fresh yeast 1/4 c olive oil 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 c sugar 1 T salt 5 c AP flour 1 egg for gilding the loaves 1 T poppy or sesame seeds 1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm potato water. It won't hurt if some potato residue from cooking slips into the water; just make sure there are no big chunks. Of if there are, mash them up well with a fork. 2. Mix in the olive oil and the eggs. 3. Add the sugar. Use the smaller amount for an off-sweet challah; the greater if you like yours sweet. 4. Mix in some flour, about 2 cups. 5. Add the salt. 6. Slowly add the rest of the flour as you mix and knead, till a slightly sticky dough is obtained. I don't want the traditional flexible dough, I want it just a little tacky. Knead 10 minutes. 7. Dust your work surface with flour and sit your dough on it for 10 minutes or so, while you wash and dry the mixing bowl and do something else. 8. After the dough has rested the 10 or 15 minutes, knead it again for a few minutes, covering your hands with flour if necessary, to keep it manageable. 9. Drop some olive oil into your washed and dried mixing bowl; place your dough into it and turn it over a few times to coat it with oil. 10. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour. 11. I've started folding and stretching the dough rather than re-kneading at this point; it works well. So either knock the dough back and re-knead briefly, or fold and stretch it as I do. 12. Cut the dough into 2 parts. Make your two braided loaves, handling the dough as lightly as possible. 13. Allow the loaves to rise 1/2 hour. Meantime, have the oven pre-heating to 350 F, 180 C. 14. Beat up the 3rd egg and gild the loaves with it. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, or both. 15. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the baking tray around in the oven and bake a further 15 minutes. Turn the loaves upside down and continue baking for 10 minutes - if the bottoms are underbaked. The timing will vary, with your oven and your particular circs. The main thing of course is to have the loaves baked through, rich and golden brown, all over. So keep your eye on the bread as it bakes and take notes for the next time. Remove from the oven immediately and cook the loaves on a rack. Keywords: Kosher, Intermediate, Bread, Jewish ( RG1930 )

Squash, pepper, and Pozole This could be a main course--would work for a vegetarian-but it's pretty rich, so I've listed it as a side. Note that it can be gluten-free, if you leave out the flour, which is no problem. dry pozole winter squash, cut in 1/2" dice oil medium onion, diced dried Greek oregano salt large clove garlic, finely chopped ground New Mexico chili flour* bell pepper, diced sour cream chopped cilantro Rinse pozole and soak overnight. Simmer until tender but not mushy. In a large skillet, saute onion and squash. Add the oregano and salt and cook over medium flame for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. Add the ground chili and the flour; stir well. Add the cooked pozole and water to cover. Lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Stir in sour cream just before serving, and garnish with cilantro. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Tex-Mex ( RG1929 )

Tarte Flambée or Flammeküeche (Alsace, France) Tarte Flambée, also known as Flammeküeche, is a kind of "white pizza" that is very popular in Alsace, France. Traditionally, It's baked in woodburning ovens at very high heat, but here's an Americanized recipe that can be prepared at home. The ricotta cheese and yogurt substitute for fromage frais and crème fraîche, respectively. If you can get the real ingredients, use those. I don't have a baking stone, but if you do, feel free to experiment with baking directly on the stone at higher heat for a shorter time. My husband has a distant cousin who is French and lives in Alsace. I didn't get this particular recipe from her, but we've eaten Tarte Flambée/Flammeküeche out when we've visited her. Tarte Flambée or Flammeküeche (Alsace, France) 1 cup ricotta cheese or fromage frais 1/2 cup yogurt or crème fraîche 1 cup lukewarm water 1 package active dry yeast about 2-1/4 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 onions, sliced in thin rings 12 ounces slab bacon, cut in to small cubes (lardons) pepper Place ricotta cheese and yogurt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowwl and cover; chill at least 8 hours. Combine water, yeast, and 1 cup flour in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes until foamy. Add salt, then gradually add remaining flour, until dough is too stiff to stir. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball. Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again, covered, until double in bulk, about 1 hour. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450°F. Combine cheese mixture with onions. Let stand 15 minutes to soften the onions. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle to fit a large baking sheet, about 12 x 15". Spread onion mixture over the dough to the edge. Sprinkle lardons evenly on top, then sprinkle generously with pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until crust is crisp. Serve hot, cut into smaller rectangles. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Main Dish, Intermediate, French ( RG1928 )

Impossible Chicken Tamale Pie 1982 Mom gave me this article written by Janet Burton located on page one of section C, from The Post-Tribune, a Northwest Indiana newspaper, dated August 25, 1982. In the article Janet states that it's been almost 20 years since the recipe for Impossible Coconut Pie surfaced. Janet states, "Ideas come and go and after waning for a few years impossible pies are back, adaptable to every course from entrees to dessert. The secret of the pie is the use of prepared biscuit mix which is added to the pie ingredients and forms it's own crust. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3." 1 1/2 cups cut up cooked chicken 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 envelope taco seasoning mix 1 4 ounce can chopped drained green chilies 1 cup shredded cheddar or Montery Jack cheese 1 1/4 cup milk 3/4 cup prepared *baking mix or Bisquick 3 eggs Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 10 inch pie plate. Mix chicken, corn and seasoning mix, spread in plate. Sprinkle with chilies and cheese. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth, 15 seconds in a blender, 1 minute with hand beater. Pour into plate. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean. 25 to 30 minutes. Cool five minutes. *Master Baking Mix 9 cups sifted flour 1/3 cup double acting baking powder 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 cups shortening (that does not require refrigeration) Stir all the powders together, sift three times into a large mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Store in covered container at room temperature. To measure master mix for use in recipes, pile lightly into a cup and level off with a spatula. Makes 13 cups. Keywords: Main Dish, Lunch, Mexican, Easy, Dinner, Blender, Chicken, Pie, Brunch, American ( RG1927 )

Impossible Pecan Pie from The Post-Tribune 1982 Mom gave me this article written by Janet Burton located on page one of section C, from The Post-Tribune, a Northwest Indiana newspaper, dated August 25, 1982. In the article Janet states that it's been almost 20 years since the recipe for Impossible Coconut Pie surfaced. Although placed on the bottom of the pan, the pecans will rise to the top hence the name Impossible Pie. "Ideas come and go and after waning for a few years impossible pies are back, adaptable to every course from entrees to dessert. The secret of the pie is the use of prepared biscuit mix which is added to the pie ingredients and forms it's own crust. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3." 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans Place in greased 9 inch pie pan. Beat remainin ingredients until smooth 15 seconds in a blender or 1 minute with hand blender 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup dark or light corn syrup 1/2 cup prepared baking mix* or Bisquik 1/4 cup soft butter 4 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Pour onto pecan sprinkled pie plate. Bake until knife in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Master Mix* 9 cups sifted flour 1/3 cup double acting baking powder 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 cups shortening (that does not require refrigeration) Stir all the powders together, sift three times into a large mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Store in covered container at room temperature. To measure master mix for use in recipes, pile lightly into a cup and level off with a spatula. Makes 13 cups. Keywords: Easy, Dessert, Pie ( RG1926 )